Ogun gas emission: Over 100 students hospitalised in fresh outbreak

More than 100 students from several secondary schools in the Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye, and Ijebu-Igbo areas of Ogun State were reportedly hospitalised on Wednesday following another outbreak of offensive gaseous emissions that left pupils and teachers struggling to breathe.

The Nigerian Tribune learnt that the incident triggered panic across the affected schools, forcing some to suspend academic activities as students reportedly fainted and were rushed to hospitals for medical attention.

The affected students were taken to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other healthcare facilities, where medical personnel attended to them.

Among the schools reportedly worst affected were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago-Iwoye.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a teacher at one of the affected schools disclosed that the incident began at about 10 a.m., when students and staff started experiencing breathing difficulties after inhaling the substance.

He explained further that the situation forced some schools in Ago-Iwoye to close around 11 a.m., while worried parents hurried to the schools to take their children home.

The teacher expressed concern over the repeated occurrence of the emissions, alleging that similar incidents had been recorded since April, with students repeatedly requiring hospital treatment.

The teacher appealed to the state government to intensify efforts to establish the source of the emissions and implement a lasting solution, warning that the recurring situation poses a serious threat to the safety of students and school personnel.

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The state government had earlier identified methane as the gas detected during investigations into previous incidents.

Recall that last June, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the government was collaborating with the state Ministries of Environment and Health, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Department of Geology at Olabisi Onabanjo University to establish the cause of the emissions.

The governor had explained that gas analysers were installed in affected schools after earlier occurrences to determine the nature and concentration of the substance.

He also disclosed that preliminary findings pointed to possible geological factors, including fault lines, as potential sources of the emissions, while the government awaited a conclusive report from experts.

When contacted on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was on top of the situation.